


Mad Uchiha

by kazumi123



Category: Naruto
Genre: ANBU is a University, Alternate Universe, Blood and Gore, Experimentation, Eye Gouging, F/M, Forced love at that, Human Experimentation, Inspired by Mad Father, Kakashi is a University student, M/M, Mad Scientist Sydrome, Mad!Crazy!Obito, Past Violence, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Obito, Psychopaths In Love, Science Experimentation, Senpai-Kouhai Relationship, Threats of Violence, Undecided ending, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 03:10:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5231660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazumi123/pseuds/kazumi123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kakashi didn't want to acknowledge that the monster in front of him was really Obito - hyperactive, knuckle-headed Obito, not psychopathic, mad and murderer Obito, but the sound of scalpel scraping against a wall of stone and the scent of blood filling the musky air made him think...that this started the day Rin died. AU, ObiKaka, ObiRin. Rated for blood and violence.</p><p>Inspired by Mad Father, the RPG game. </p><p>(I don't know whether to make a bad ending or a good ending, so readers with a weak heart, beware.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Where It All Began...

Chapter 1: Where It All Began

Kakashi supposed it started the day when Rin died. Nohara Rin was a sweet little girl who barely reached the tender age of fourteen, when she had been accidentally involved in a freak accident – the car she was riding in had collided with an incoming lorry.

Her injuries were so severe that she died on the way to the hospital.

There was a lot of things about the girl that made the Hatake missed her; her soft brown chesnut-coloured hair, the dark chocolate orbs that she possessed, and the way she would smile when Kakashi and Obito got into one of their rivals-fights again. Her laugh was both sweet and warm, like freshly-cooked brownies, and overall, Kakashi thought as her nothing more than a close friend whose personality was mother-hen like.

And she was someone that both he and Obito held dearly, though he suspected Obito was a little more-so than he.

The raven-haired boy was simply infatuated with Rin.

Kakashi came to know both of them when he was little – the silver-haired boy was already declared an orphan since he was young, after his father decided to end his life by his own hands. Later, he was shoved into the care of his grandparents, who lived far from the hustle and bustle of the big city he used to live in. He learned eventually that they owned a nice little cottage on the outskirt of a tiny village that goes by the name of Konoha. It has been such a culture shock to the little boy, but he had adjusted quickly to the new quiet, rural lifestyle. Eventually, he made his own rival – a scrawny, loud, snot-nosed boy that later he dubbed as 'The Dope.'

Obito was apparently a child of one of the most well-known (and powerful) clan in the entire world, the Uchiha, but he certainly didn't act like one. He was loud, boisterous, and yelled at everything around him when he got the chance.

Kakashi didn't know what had gotten into Obito that made him obsessed with him – always following him around, making half-assed comments at everything he did, and then making challenges to himself that he can do everything better than Kakashi, until Kakashi had punched the answer out of the boy. The Uchiha had declared in his own weird way (with a bloodied nose, in fact) that he simply wanted to be the silver-haired boy's friend. The Hatake had been amused (he didn't have many friends in the city, nor had he intended to make one here) but he silently accepted the offer nonetheless. After he continued to beat the living daylight out of Obito.

Despite everything he might said or done, being friends with the boy…wasn't that bad.

The two of them continued on with their unusual half-rival, half-(best) friends relationship well until they were ten-years old, and Rin joined in afterwards, turning the duo into a trio.

Rin was born in the city, same as Kakashi, until her parents decided to move to Konoha for the sake of her well-being. The poor girl was asthmatic, and the low air quality in the city only made her conditions worse. Moving to the the countryside was the only option her parents had; they were not a rich family and Rin's medicines were putting holes in their pockets.

The girl didn't mind at all, a change of scenery was always welcome, and she had already made two new best friends to keep her accompanied.

The three did everything together, and one cannot be seen without the other two. Wherever Kakashi went, Rin and Obito would be there. Whenever Obito would run off somewhere, the other two would be closely behind. The same was with Rin.

Of course, Kakashi won't admit it, but those years were the best time of his life.

Then, one day, Rin started to cough. It had gotten to the point of being uncontrollable and Kakashi yelled at Obito to go get her parents when he noticed that the Nohara girl was barely taking in any air. The village's clinic hadn't got the equipment to help her and her parents immediately ushered her into the car, to send her to the nearest hospital in the city, regardless of their lack of money. Kakashi rushed to go with them, but, unluckily, Obito wasn't allowed to; his father said that they have an important meeting to attend to that evening elsewhere, and that he wanted to introduce his son to some of their very important VIPs.

The Hatake was about to leave when the young Uchiha had gripped his wrist in a surprisingly tight grip, his eyes burning with such a dark colour that had Kakashi's knees weakeninig.

"Please," he said, lips quivering, "Please, protect her, Bakashi."

Although Kakashi knew that he had no control whatsoever in this situation, he nodded. "Okay."

And he left, leaving behind a sombre Uchiha Obito glaring at the grass.

Rin's father was driving so quickly, Kakashi feared that his heart was going to leap out from his chest cavity in any moment. His hands gripping tightly of the back leather seats, he turned his head to smile comfortably at the gasping Rin beside him, despite his feeling of wanting to throw up. Still, he managed to whisper assuring words to the girl, flinching when brown orbs swept over him, clouded with fear and pain.

"You'll be fine, Rin," he told her, voice firm, "You'll be fine."

It was then Kakashi noticed the incoming lorry that was speeding towards them, its headlights flaring alarmingly.

"Look out!"

A loud screech, and then…an explosion of metal and sound.

=X=

Kakashi woke up and found himself staring at a white ceiling, and the air reeked of chemicals and drugs. His nose twitching, his hand reached up for his head, which was pounding rather heavily, like he had just been trampled on by dancing pink elephants. He paused when the tip of his fingertip touched rough fibre – a cloth of thick gauze wrapping around his head. The silver-haired teenager's eyes widened as rush of frantic memories came back to him.

"Rin!" he shouted, jumping out of his bed. The world did a 360 and he toppled to the ground, knees wobbling under his weight. Before he could kiss the floor, fortunately, a nurse managed to grab the back of his shirt.

"Whoa, there!" she said.

Kakashi struggled to his feet, a herculean feat. He managed to clench a part of the nurse's white uniform, rasping out, "Rin. Where's Nohara Rin?!"

A look of contemplation passed over the woman's face before she frowned sadly. "I'm so sorry, young man, but your friend died on the way to the hospital. We couldn't reach her in time."

And at that moment, Kakashi's world smashed into a thousand fragments.

The teenager was held at the hospital for another week. After he was dismissed, the hospital staffs were kind enough to send him home as he had no means of transport –Rin's parents were also killed in the crash, and he didn't bring any money with him, so he thanked the driver before hobbling along the well-worn path to the village. His grandmother hugged him tightly when he entered through the entrance of the cottage, and his grandpapa smiled at him kindly and pets his head, smokes of tobacco lingering around. As much as he enjoyed the affections given to him, he couldn't yet ignore the heavy weight in his heart.

Rin was…dead. She was gone forever.

As he rested against the window sill, a glum expression fixed on his face, a horrible thought struck him.

Oh God…What was he going to tell Obito?

No matter how much he wanted to hide under a rock for the next forty-years or so, he figured the Dope deserved to know what had happened, disregarding how much Kakashi wanted to protect the ignorant boy from the harsh truth.

And so, he found himself knocking on the front doors on the Uchiha manor the next morning, which was situated at the far end of the village. Vaguely remembering Obito's words of how his side of the Uchiha family has been living here in the countryside to observe the potential market, he sniffled, slightly fatigued as he was not able to sleep well last night, due to his nervousness.

The Hatake jumped as the doors suddenly opened, and a mop of slight curled black hair filled his vision, a pair of onyx eyes gazing into his grey ones. Shisui, Obito's older brother, frowned when he observed the quiet teen in front of him, but he invited the boy in nevertheless. He told Kakashi that his younger brother is upstairs in his bedroom, before practically pushing the silver-haired Hatake up the stairs.

"He's anxious…" he heard the Uchiha muttered, "He doesn't know because we didn't tell him yet…"

Kakashi swallowed. "I'll tell him." His voice sounded weak even to his own ears.

The older male nodded, almost sympathetically, before leaving him in front of a red wooden door. He watched as the other went back downstairs, where a little toddler was waiting for him patiently. The chubby little wasn't familiar, so it must have been one of Obito's cousins again.

Kakashi knocked. He heard the muffled permission to enter, and he did.

Obito was sitting at the study table, his feet propped on the desk, as he read a pamphlet he held in his hand. His face was so solemn and dead serious; Kakashi asked him what the matter was.

The Uchiha seems startled; he quickly turn around and hid whatever it was that he was holding, before smiling widely at his friend. "Kakashi!"

"What was that?" The boy asked, curious.

The smile disappeared instantly. "Oh, nothing." The raven-haired teenager muttered. "Just some school Father wanted me to go. By the way, what had you been doing? And where's Rin? How is she? Is she okay?" A glimmer of hope crept into his voice.

Kakashi gulped, the weight feeling heavier with each question the Uchiha thrown at him. Bile rose to his throat and he found it hard to breathe. He turned his head away, ashamed at his inability to keep his promise. "Rin…"

"Rin…is dead." Ultimately, he delivered the words.

Obito said nothing. But the atmosphere darkens considerably and if he found it hard to breathe before, it was certainly more difficult now, with guilt pulling him down to the ground. Shaking slightly, Kakashi looked at his friend, who was staring vacantly at the carpet beneath his feet.

As quick as lightning, Obito's face turn thunderous, deadly, as well as full of murderous intent. It made Kakashi feel scare, seeing his hyperactive, happy-go-lucky friend suddenly acting like this. Unknowingly, he backed away.

He yelped, when the Uchiha gripped his collar and thrown him against the wall, the force left him feeling breathless. He slid down, only to be held at the throat by one pissed-off Uchiha Obito.

"You promise…" Obito's whispers gradually become louder, and harsher in volume. It made Kakashi cringed. "You promise you would protect her….YOU PROMISE!"

"I did my best, Obito, I did my-"

"LIAR!" The other teenager shouted, tightening his hold, making the silver-haired boy spluttered and gasping for air. Making a fist with his dominant hand, he punched Kakashi in the cheek, before delivering a hard kick to his abdomen. Kakashi wheezed, pain flaring up his nerves, before finally settling on the floor in a jumbled heap. His ears were ringing, and his fingers twitched, desperately inching for the door but to no avail; his mind was too clouded for him to do anything.

Obito stood over him, casting a shadow of malice. Unnerved by sudden lack of emotion on the other's face, Kakashi whined softly.

"I'll show you…" The young Uchiha said just as softly, fingers gripping an object that Kakashi couldn't identify. Fingers weaved into his hair, pulling him quickly and painfully onto his feet. "I'll show you to never break a promise again…Kakashi."

The Hatake's eyes widened when Obito brought his hand into view, revealing the object to be a penknife, the blade glinting wickedly in the sunlight. He struggled as hard as he could, but he haven't got the strength, and the hand just gripped harder, forcing the young Hatake to tilt his head backwards, so he exposed his throat to the raven-haired teenager.

He froze when he felt mechanical kisses trailing up his throat. A cool sting against his left eye, informed Kakashi just where Obito was placing his weapon at.

"Rin was so beautiful…" Lips fluttered against his jugular vein. "But she isn't now is she?"

Kakashi gulped when more pressure began to apply at his eye. "Obito…" he pleaded, for what he didn't know. But he wanted it to stop.

"Shut up." Kakashi screamed in agony as the blade of the penknife slid over the eyelid, leaving trailing red blood as it dig deeply into his epidermis. It stopped against his cheek, mercifully pulling out, but the damage was already done. Obito let him go one final time, and Kakashi writhed on the floor, desperately clutching at his left eye. Blood continued to flow down porcelain skin, staining it a dark crimson.

Vaguely, through a cloud of angry pain, he heard Shisui's voice shouting, as well as several others. A stampede of feet, the sound of a door crashing before more mad screams aroused. An unfamiliar pair of hands pulled him into an embrace, and Kakashi, for fear it was Obito again, opened his only usable eye, and met the face of a worried Shisui, blurred because of the tears pooling at his retina.

"You're okay?" He asked, but as the Hatake merely let out another agonized scream, he yelled, "Akira! Get some cloth! We need to slow down the bleeding, somehow! And Itachi," he turned towards the same toddler earlier, who was standing by his side, face somewhat scared but also passive, "Call the ambulance, would you? I know you're smart enough to do that. Tell them it's the Uchiha family." The five-year old nodded, before running out of the room. Shisui returned his attention to Kakashi. "Hang in there, boy." The silver-haired teenager nodded weakly.

The older Uchiha of the two siblings then turned to look at his brother, who was standing impassively in the middle of the commotion. Obito's father looked angry, and began shouting a series of words at him, but from what Shisui seen, the youngest Uchiha doesn't care somewhat. His eyes were watching Kakashi, the onyx orbs glinting predatorily at the blood dripping down the Hatake's cheek.

Akira, the butler, returned somewhere in the middle of it, and handed him a roll of bandage he had rummaged out of the emergency aid kit. Shisui quickly wrapped it around the Hatake's left eye, as quickly and neatly as he can. Even as he finished, dots of reds began to appear of the gauze. If Kakashi doesn't get treatment soon…

"Shisui." Itachi had returned. "The ambulance had already arrived. They're waiting."

Shisui nodded. The Uchiha had power, after all. He lifted Kakashi effortlessly into his arms, and followed his much younger cousin out of the bedroom. Even as weak as he did, Kakashi glanced at Obito one last time, but he didn't even seem to notice; now fully focusing his attention at his father.

It would be a while since he last seen the Uchiha.

=X=

From what the doctors had told him, Kakashi's left eye had been permanently damaged, and had zero percent of recovering. The news didn't settle well with Kakashi –he still wanted a successful future career after all, and most of them involved having two usable eyes. But, what else he could do? The Hatake sighed forlornly, shoulder slumping.

A hand clasped his shoulder. Shisui. "Is there really no other way, Doctor?"

The doctor, a well-endowed blond, crossed her arms in thought. Her name tag contained the word 'Tsunade', and somehow, it doesn't seem surprising at all to Kakashi for the Uchiha family to have such a medical expert as their doctor. "Well, there is one way…"

"And that is?" Shisui inquired.

"Surgery," Tsunade said simply, "An eye transplant. It would cause several thousand ryos and he still needs a donor, but it can easily pull through."

"He'll do it." Kakashi snapped his head up in shock at the older male, eyes widened in disbelief. He stammered, "But, S-Shisui, my family don't have that kind of money!"

"We do."

"I can't let you do that!"

"An eye for an eye. It's Obito's fault that you lost one of them. It's the least my family can do. Besides," Shisui smirked slightly, "a few hundred thousand ryos is practically nothing by Uchiha's standard." He turned back to Tsunade. "He'll do it."

The blond nodded. "As soon as we find a suitable donor, we'll start right away."

=X=

A few weeks later, Kakashi found himself having bi-coloured eyes. Sure, it was comfortable again having normal vision, but he found it hard to stare at his own reflection nowadays.

His right eye was grey, while his left currently contained a single red-tinted onyx orb. It reminded so much of Obito's that he shivered in fear every time he looked at it. His left eyelid also have been marred by a long, jagged scar, reaching down until his cheek. Undoubtedly, he was so fascinated by it that he spent the first few hours tracing it.

His grandparents practically prohibited him from visiting the Uchiha manor again, but Kakashi still have the need to see Obito, to apologize and explained himself to him, even though he knew that Rin's death was something that he couldn't control. Besides, Obito must have some explanation as to why he had acted the way he did back then. The Uchiha had always been so gentle…

As it turned out, Kakashi would probably never see Obito again. His father had sent him to a high-prestigious school located far in the east, where he would live with his lone grandfather, Madara Uchiha. Shisui also said that Obito had said sorry to him, and that he should forget about their friendship.

"When will he be back again?" Kakashi asked, once he heard this. He wasn't about to let Obito go that easily, even if said boy had tried to kill him.

Shisui shrugged. "I do not know, boy. Father practically disowned him. Obito had done a lot of crazy things over the years but this took the cake."

"Oh…"

It was the last of their conversation, as well as their final. The Uchiha family also moved elsewhere after a couple of months, leaving the manor to be attended by servants and gardeners.

And Kakashi was left in the village, with his grandparents, but with no friends. So, he focused his attention on something that he had always been good at; studying. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to get a scholarship and go to a university, where, he would, maybe, just maybe, find Obito during his journey.

Maybe.


	2. Reunion

Chapter 2: Reunion

Knock Knock.

"Senpai!" A young man with brown chestnut hair whined, his right knocking on the wooden door while his left balanced a box full of teriyaki. He growled slightly when there was no answer, even after a full minute had passed by. "Senpai!" He yelled a little louder, uncaring if he was disturbing the neighbours. He kicked the door half-heartedly before leaning his back onto its rough surface. Another sigh escaped his lips.

"Ack!"

Bi-coloured eyes regarded him curiously, as he lay sprawled on his back, his feet high up in the air. Fortunately, the teriyaki survived the fall, though looking a little flat.

"Tenzou, what are you doing?" His senpai asked, leaning down until his eyes met that of brown. Meeting the man's gaze, Tenzou flushed slightly before quickly scrambling to get up.

"Kakashi-senpai, it's already 9.00am. You said to pick you up this time, so why aren't you ready yet?" The brown-haired man asked, pushing back the other so he could get into the small apartment. He eyed the white garment that is his pyjamas that the silver-haired man was wearing. The thick fabric hung oh-so delicately around the silver-haired man's frame, and the brunette blushed when a flash of collarbone was revealed unintentionally to him. Tenzou turned his head away and coughed, embarrassed.

Seemingly oblivious, Kakashi smiled, closing the door. "I'm so sorry. I just had woken up a few minutes ago. The neighbours made such a ruckus last night that I couldn't sleep very well." He grimaced, remembering just what kind of noise he'd heard last night.

"Do you want some coffee? I'd had some earlier so…" Kakashi offered.

Tenzou shook his head, all sense of embarrassment gone. "No, thank you, senpai. I had already taken my breakfast at a café earlier. Speaking of which…" He shook aforementioned bag of teriyaki, handing them to the other man. The snack inside was still hot, and the brown paper bag was slightly damp from the condensation.

The young Hatake smiled really wide then; teriyaki was one of the only foods that was worth standing the sweetness of the bean paste for, and his kouhai showed that he knew that fact particularly well , for there was about a dozen of them in the bag. "Ah~ Tenzou, you're really spoiling me~" Despite the words, the tone he was using indicated just how much happy the man was.

The younger man blinked in surprise at the look of radiance on the other's face, but his lips twitched. "Kakashi-senpai, you're already well spoiled long before I met you." He huffed.

"Well, that might be true, but you're spoiling me even further." The Hatake countered, hands on his hip.

Tenzou relented, raising both of his hands in defeat. "Fine, fine. I'm spoiling you." He smirked, before adding, "Like a little princess."

A couch cushion collided with his face.

"Oh, shut up you." Kakashi rolled his mismatched eyes. "Now,get out of here. I'm going to change," he paused, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively, "Or, would you rather watch me?"

"SENPAI!" A furious blush bloomed across the brunette's cheeks.

The older man laughed, before taking off to the bathroom.

-X-

"So, Kakashi-senpai, this village of yours…" Tenzou looked at the man sitting next to him, once they stopped at another red light. "How much further is it?" He asked, slumping a little into his seat. They had been driving for about four hours, and the arrows on his wristwatch informed him that it was already half-past twelve.

Kakashi took a while to answer, gulping down the last of his pretzel. They took a break at a rest-stop earlier. "Not much further. Just straight down this path," he pointed to the well-worn road in front of them with a finger. "At the end, there'll be a junction. Turn left and the path should start to be covered with vegetation. That's a sign we will be close."

"It's called Konoha, right?" Tenzou inquired.

The silver-haired man nodded.

"Huh, that's a pretty nice name. Seems fitting for a village to be overgrown with vegetation, as you said." The traffic light finally flashed green, prompting the brunette to slam on the pedal. Their car jerked forward.

"It is. When spring comes, the whole place will be covered with cherry blossom petals. That's how beautiful it is, for a village so small." A tiny smile boomed on his face at his memory. Tenzou noticed it, even as he slammed on the horn to honk at a speeding car.

"You seem to love your home very much, Kakashi-senpai." The younger man stated.

The other man gave a slight nod. "Of course I do."

"So, what made you consider joining a university so far away such as ANBU?"

Kakashi stiffened; though he tried covering it up by slurping his coke. His throat burned s the fizzy liquid went down. "Just a need." He coughed out.

"A need?" Tenzou sounded puzzled. Why would he go to a prestigious university almost a state away just because of a need? A weird man, his senpai was. He was tempted to ask more, but let it go. If Kakashi decided that he wasn't going to tell him the real reason, then he would probably never know.

"Yes, my little junior, a need. Now, shut up, or I'll shove these French fries down your throat." Kakashi droned, waving the little potato sticks with his fingers, which were shining with oil. Tenzou wisely averted his attention on another subject; he didn't like oily food, and he didn't plan to break that tradition anytime soon.

When the silver-haired student noticed his junior clamming up, he sighed in relief, before placing the fries back into its proper paper bag. He wiped his fingers on a piece of tissue, and proceeded to stare out of the window, his mind elsewhere.

-x-

"Kakashi-chan!" A heavily winkled-face woman cried out with joy as her adorable and only grandchild walk through the front door, a wide smile blooming on her face. She dropped the basket full of fruits that she was holding onto the wooden table, rushing forward to give Kakashi a hug.

The younger Hatake laughed, even as a pair of arms gripped the front of his jacket down to give him a hug.

"It's really great to see you too, Grandmamma." Kakashi said letting go. He then yelped when the old lady suddenly whacked his head with a wrinkled hand. "What was that for?" He whined, rubbing the sore spot.

"For not visiting sooner, Little Scarecrow." The woman scolded, hands on her hips.

Kakashi heard a muffled giggle behind him, and he turned to glare at a snickering Tenzou, who was biting his sleeve in a desperate attempt to keep quiet.

His grandmamma craned her neck to look over her grandchild's shoulder. She blinked in surprise, before smiling. "And who's this handsome young lad?" She gushed, walking towards the brunette.

Tenzou stopped laughing, flushing in embarrassment.

"He's my junior in ANBU," Kakashi explained, looking slightly amused at his kouhai's dismayed face. "Though, he's a topology major. His name is Tenzou. Say hi, Tenzou."

"Nice to meet you, mam." Tenzou bowed, his cheeks slightly flushed.

Grandmamma smiled really wide then. "I'm Haori Hatake, Kakashi's paternal grandmother, but you can call me grandmamma like little scarecrow here does."

"Grandmamma!" The younger Hatake yelped.

"I will….Grandmamma." Tenzou looked like he was going to explode any moment.

Grandmamma chuckled, patting Kakashi's shoulder lightly when she walked passed him into the kitchen. "I like this one. You should keep him." She whispered to him under her breath.

Now it was Kakashi's turn to splutter in indignation, his pale face glowing pink.

When the old lady went out of sight, the silver-haired man sighed. He faced Tenzou, crossing his arms. "That's Grandmamma, all right. She's always like that, so don't let it get to you that much."

Tenzou stared at him a little wide-eyed, and Kakashi wondered if he heard what his grandmother had whispered to him. His throat tightened. But as the burette relaxed, he also did, falling back into his usual slouch.

"Do you think she needs any help in this kitchen?" Tenzou asked, glancing at the kitchen doorway.

"Maybe. I should go check."

There was an unsettling silence. Why it was suddenly become awkward between him and his junior?

"Kakashi-senpai?"

"Hmmm?"

Tenzou shifted slightly. "I…I think that…maybe, I'm…"

"Tenzou." Kakashi interrupted.

"A-Ah?"

"Shut up." With that, Kakashi threw a piece of muffin that was on the dining table at him, hitting him squarely on his nose, and stomped into the kitchen.

Tenzou was utterly confused, looking at the muffin at his hand and at the doorway, as he rubbed his poor nose. What was wrong with his senior?

Kakashi 's head suddenly appeared at the doorway, and Tenzou jumped when his lazy voice filled the room. "Neh, Tenzou, could you please go buy some eggs at the market? It's straight down the path, and there should be a row of shops there. I'll pay you later. Thanks." Without even giving him time to answer properly, the silver-haired man disappeared again into the kitchen.

Tenzou's eyebrow twitched.

-X-

When Kakashi walked into the kitchen again, he found his grandmamma pouring some flour into a mixing bowl, containing about a quarter full of dough. He pulled open the fridge, taking a sip from the milk carton, being too lazy to get a cup. Grandmamma noticed his little act and promptly threw her mixing spoon at his head.

"Manners, little scarecrow." The old woman crooned.

Kakashi pouted, reluctantly pulling an old cup from the top of the shelf. As he turned around, lips pursing on the helm of the cup, he saw from the corner of his eye the tiny, bemused smile adorning his grandmother's crinkled face. He asked what the matter was.

Grandmamma shook her head slowly, her grey eyes twinkling. "I just remembered that you were so short when you were a boy, barely reaching my waist. Just a little midget…" She gave a laugh. " And now look at you! Being able to reach that far up without standing on your tippy toes. My, how time flies so fast…"

"I'm still the same little midget you know, Grandmamma," Kakashi said, though a little wistfully. "No matter how much I grow, I will always be your grandchild."

Grandmamma's eyes started tearing up a little. "Oh, your grandfather would have been so proud if he was to see you right now. All grown up, wise and all. Little Sakumo would have been also glad to know that his son had grown to be such a wonderful man." Her eyes turned a dark shade of black at the last sentence.

The younger Hatake stiffened a little at that, setting down his now empty mug onto the counter. His father was still a sensitive issue to him; even though he had learned to forgive the man for abandoning him, his heart still needed time to heal. And God knew just how much time he would need.

The two family members fell into silence; the older Hatake measuring ingredients to be use in the cake, the younger one sitting on the kitchen stool as he brood silently.

It was just so happen when he glanced through the window sill to look at some birds, that he noticed a small trail of smoke drifting just over the horizon. That made his eyes narrowed in curiosity.

He asked, "Grandmamma was there any new houses recently?" Winter had only passed by and the sunlight was barely warm, obliterating the chances of forest fire. Sure, it was mild cold, and a lot of people in Konoha just couldn't stand the iciness of Mother Nature. It shouldn't bother him this much, but it did. The direction of the smoke…

Grandmamma shrugged. "No, Little Scarecrow, everything is pretty much the same." She stirred the bowl a little harsher.

Kakashi's jaw tightened. His eyes drifted again to the tiny wisp of smoke in the sky. It seems to be coming just from the edge of the village. He closed his eyes, trying to remember if there were any houses-

Grey and red-tinted orbs snapped open.

Grandmamma let out a little yell when her grandson jumped to his feet in such a motion that he accidentally sent the stool smashing against the wall.

"What's wrong?!" She yelled in surprise. Kakashi grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, if not a little hysterically.

"Grandmamma!" Her grandson began to spew out words faster than she had ever heard him say. "T-that- smoke, from the edge, villag-!"

Grandmamma knocked his head, effectively shutting him up. "Calm down, Little Scarecrow! Now, tell me what is the matter with you."

The younger Hatake frowned, a perplexed look on his face.

"The smoke…"

She waited patiently.

Kakashi looked away, a cloudy look in his unmatched eyes. He seemed to be looking through the window, mumbling, "….coming from the Uchiha Mansion."

There was not a sound coming from his grandmother, so Kakashi looked at her, and her face seem to be plastered a look that hiding something, but before he could fathom why, her expression cleared off.

"Why, Little Scarecrow," His grandmother's voice was calm and steely, and it made Kakashi feel on edge; the last time his Grandmamma sounded like that, it was when the young Hatake had been caught stealing from the cookie jar in search for some oatmeal cookies. "You must have been so tired from your journey that you are beginning to imagine things. There is no one living in the Uchiha Manor; hasn't been occupied since the Uchiha moved out years ago."

Kakashi began to protest. "B-But the smoke…!"

"-must have come from a fire lit from a couple of servants. You know they came around every once in a while to tidy the place up." Grandmamma's face hardened. "Listen, Little Scarecrow, I know what you're thinking when you saw that smoke, and I forbid you to ever step a foot upon that place ever again!" With a strength that most women her age could never muster, she yelled and glared with so much hatred and power that her grandson was lost. Meekly, though half-heartedly, Kakashi complied with the request, nodding his head, even as he narrowed his eyes and glared into another direction angrily and sulkily.

Seeing this, Grandmamma calmed down, sighing in dismay. They stayed in uncomfortable silence for a few moments, the air thick with tension.

Luckily, Tenzou came in just in time.

"Sennnnpaii! I'm sorry, but I couldn't get the eggs!" In a loud voice, though not really yelling in respect of the other's home, the wide-eyed brunette came barrelling in into the kitchen, panting, and his face red.

The spell broke.

Grandmamma smiled widely, turning to face the brunette with her arms spread wide as if to give him a hug while Kakashi turned his head, a scowl on his face.

"Tenzou, dearest," The old woman said sweetly, "I'm sorry, but did you say you didn't get the eggs?"

Tenzou nodded. His expression looked creep out from the tone though. His eyes flickered to his senior, who was blatantly ignoring him, staring at a spot of the wall with furrowed eyebrows. He returned his attention back to the elderly woman in front of him. "Yes…I'm sorry about this, mam- I mean, grandmamma, but here I was, standing in line for the grocery stand, when suddenly everyone shattered to the wind like crazy! The shop owner even slammed the shutters in my face!" He rubbed the bridge of his nose in remembrance.

That caught Kakashi's attention. He turned to the brunette, an elegant eyebrow raised. "They did? Why would they do that?" He had been living for all his life and nothing of the sort had ever happen before in the village. All of the villagers are so kind and friendly.

His junior shrugged in response. "The thing is, the whole marketplace, which was so lively before, suddenly turned as quiet as a graveyard. Then there was a young man, who was wearing tucked-in white collar shirt and black trousers, came waltzing through the area. "A thoughtful expression came to his face, as the younger male in the room scratched his chin. "I don't know why, but it seemed like suddenly everyone in the market started cowering in fear, all the while whispering, 'It's him' and 'the mad devil, he's gonna kill us all.' and all sorts of nonsense. Funny, because the man looks just around our age- S-Senpai?!" Tenzou shouted in shock as the silver-haired man tore across the room, gripping his shoulders with steel-like grip so tight it felt like his bones might break. Kakashi looked at him, eye-to-eye, a desperate tint in those mismatched orbs while he shook his junior into oblivion.

As his head flung back and forth, he saw Haori flapping her arms like a penguin, screaming obscenities at either him or his grandchild.

Kakashi gritted his teeth, clenching the cloth of Tenzou's white T-shirt tightly in his clenched fists. He was shaking like a leaf, silvery bangs falling in front of his beautifully-mismatched eyes like a veil covering the intense emotions swirling in those orbs. The brown-haired man felt a drop of sweat dripping down his cheek as he felt the intense gaze of that almost inhuman red orb on him. "That man… what does he looks like, Tenzou?" His steely voice betrayed nothing of the emotions within.

Tenzou gulped slightly, rolling his eyes around the room in order to avoid eye contact with that demonic crimson gaze. "H-He has short dark hair, I-I guess… with p-pale skin…and I couldn't see his…eyes very well from where I w-was standing, but they were black…with a hint of red in them…!" The younger man let out a shout of surprise when his senpai nearly threw him into him into the kitchen cabinet, with him grappling at the counter for support lest he break his neck. Grandmamma screamed utterly with desperation as she watched her one and only grandchild stormed out with the same crazed passion as the man he was about to meet.

"Tenzou, stop him!" Haori watched helplessly at the brunette struggling to his feet. The walls reverberated from the slam of the front door being opened too roughly. "Please!"

"KAKASHI!"

=X=

The leaves on the ground scrunched loudly underneath the soles of his stampeding feet. A cloud of breath formed in front of him, as he ran through the forest, desperate to get to his destination as the icy wind stung his skin. The beige jacket of the ANBU university did nothing to stop the freezing cold, and he cursed softly underneath his chilling breath; with every inhalation of the winter wind, his lungs burned for deprived oxygen and his nose was already red, flaring with the same kind of burning sensation. But stop running, he did not, for in his mind, every memory of his best friend flashed freshly through his mind like a salvation of sort, reminding him that the same person that had left him years ago was just on the other side of this very forest he was trekking on. His heart beat furiously against his ribcage. With every step he took, the dense canopy of the trees began to thin out. The trail continued.

Obito Uchiha.

He slowed down a little, almost sadly.

'Obito….'

A scrawny-looking boy sniffled grossly, a little stream of blood dripping out from his nose, which was black and blue from the punch Kakashi had given him earlier. "I am Obito Uchiha!" He declared loudly, boldly, ignoring his broken nose. The boy hopped from his seated position on the ground, huffing and puffing his chest with proudness. His strange eyes –black with a shade of red glossed over them, Kakashi noted- glinted in the sunlight with surrealism. "From now on, you're gonna have me as your friend!" He boasted.

Half-lidded eyes stared at the boy blankly. "…Why?" He dared to ask.

The boy –no, Obito, looked utterly scandalised. He balled his fists, waving them in front of his chest with exuberant energy. "Because you're a stuck-up prude!" He yelled as if it was the answer to everything. "And you look like someone who need a friend to tell you how jerky you are. So, I'm the man for the job!"

The silver-haired man, now walking slowly, continued his way to the direction of the smoke. He was ignorant of the melodious chirping of the birds overhead. His mind was in turmoil, lost in a sea of memories even as his body remain in motion.

'Bakakashi! Anything you can do, I can do even better!"

'Seriously, what kind of kid willingly eat oatmeal cookies?! You are one strange prude, you know, Bakakashi…'

'Rin, Kakashi, wait up for me!'

'You know as well as I do that vampire costume is plain awesome! You're just mad that your wolf youkai one looks like a cat just coughed out a hairball!"

'Obito…' The Hatake sighed with a depressing air. 'You were so kind and outgoing, it's hard to believe that when Rin…left us, you…'

"Obito…" He whined softly, but that cold, gleaming gaze did not leave his friend's eyes, instead intensifying, as the young Uchiha studied the prone gasping form on the floor.

"I'll teach you the consequences of breaking a promise, Kakashi…" The penknife glinted evilly in the light of the bedroom, revealing the sharp point of the blade, which was held directly over Kakashi's left eye.

Complete, utter pain as skin was broken and flesh parted between the foreign metal. His blood felt hot against his cheek. His eye was cut in half, sliced directly over the cornea and deep enough to penetrate through the vitreous humor and sever the optic nerve. Veins and arteries were torn, red liquid spilling out. His retina burned hellishly in contrast of the cool stinging of the knife. He yelled, he screamed, he sobbed through it all. He could feel pieces of flesh sticking to his eyelashes. Kakashi struggled in his captor's hold, in an effort to end the agony.

All the meanwhile, there was a vicious sound coming from Obito,alike rolling thunder in the distance. With every agonising passed, the ferocious grew louder in magnitude, until the young Obito released a grating noise very much like a high pitch hyena's yelp. Kakashi's world alternated between red-hot torment and the beastly tone coming from one who had been his best friend.

Red orbs stared with fascination at the blood, transfixed with its bright colour against his friend's pale porcelain skin. He focused on a particular drip of blood, before letting a wide, happy grin when the liquid dripped off the Hatake's chin.

It was the gaze of a person no longer sane.

The sunlight was harsh but invigorating as the forest trail finally ended and Kakashi found himself staring at the red-coloured roof of the Uchiha Mansion. The place was basically the same, with the exception of a few peeling paint and slightly dust-covered window. Aside from the minor changes, it looked like the large house he remembered from his younger days. The lawn were manicured, the grasses short, bushes were trimmed and the fences still intact –clearly the servants had done a splendid job in maintaining the house's unique architecture and exterior beauty (though he knew the interior designs would be well-kept as well). His eyes zeroed in on the chimney, particularly the wisp of dark smoke fuming from it.

Somehow, the atmosphere around the house felt gloomy and dark. Almost…evil.

Kakashi tore his gaze from the rooftop and onto the front door. He blinked, as he noticed more than one set of footprints on the front yard. They looked recent, and the stampede of footsteps marked on the earthen ground made the silver-haired man wondered if the Uchiha family has really moved back in after all these years of leaving the land almost barren.

The Hatake focused back to the entrance. He took a step, before faltering. Guilt consumed him as he thought back to his grandmother, whom he had left behind with his junior back at the cottage. Surely the old woman was either cussing him or bawling her eyes out from the disobedience of the only grandson she had raised and cared for. And Tenzou certainly was spewing insults at him in his mind for leaving him behind with a person he barely knows.

Was he really that bedevilled with the thought of meeting with Obito that he was willing to hurt his loved ones? There was a possibility that the man Tenzou had saw at the marketplace was not the Uchiha he was looking for; just a lookalike with the same features. He might be an Uchiha that Kakashi had never met before.

And if it really was Obito…would he willingly meet up with the very person that had broken his promise to him? Kakashi had failed to protect Rin, and Obito had stolen his left eye away from him as compensation. Shisui even said that Obito doesn't want to meet him anymore, that he should forget their friendship, their bond.

Is Obito even worth it? He had to ask that question to himself. There was no reply.

'I should go back, and apologise to Grandmamma. And Tenzou too. ' Making up his mind, though half-hearted with his decision, Kakashi rocked on his heels for a moment before turning around. So lost in his thoughts, imagine his surprise when he collided with something solid, falling to his ass on the ground with an 'oof'. A large shadow loomed ominously over him, like a shadow of death.

"Oh…Are you lost, little lamb?" A deep-tone voice, clearly a man's, asked mockingly, after a bark of laughter at his slight misfortune. Kakashi's head snapped up, ready to send back a retort, but lost his nerves when he was met with a row of sharp, pointy teeth. 'Those look like they belong to a shark!', the silver-haired man thought alarmingly, hopping quickly to his feet before putting some distance between him and his 'offender'. He almost slid to the ground again when he took a good look at the other man.

The man's posture was sturdy and strong, showing his very-defined muscles and broad shoulders, with long, strong limbs. He was tall, very tall; almost inhuman so. But that insignificant little detail paled in comparison with the man's other characteristics. Small, beady eyes with golden retinas stared at his frozen form rather gleefully, revealing those pointy teeth again in a derisible smile. There were three things on each of his cheek, similarly what gills would look like on a human being. His hair was deep sea blue; non-dyed apparently, its original colour to the roots. But the most frightening, obscene thing was the light blue colouring of his skin. His hands, arms, face –every visible skin was that abnormal colour. All in all, with every details combining together, the man looks every bit exactly of a malicious shark.

Kakashi jumped as that same, grating-like voice came from the grotesque being. "You're trespassing on an Uchiha's property, lamb. If you're smart, you'll run off before I remove you. Forcefully." There was a snarky grin and a hideous chuckle.

The Hatake schooled his face into a façade of calmness. His voice betrayed nothing of the fear he felt of the man, but he could feel his hands shook as he hide them in his pockets in what he hoped the shark-like man interpreted as casual manner. "Then, if you'll excuse me…" He moved slowly, cautious of the burly man. The blue-skinned man just showed off his teeth again in response, watching his every step with those damnable eyes.

He was only a few metres away when he heard another pair of footsteps approaching them. He turned his head slightly in curiosity. He heard the shark man greeted, "Good evening, Boss."

"Kisame," the 'Boss' replied. He…sounded familiar somehow. "What's going on?"

"Oh, just one of those rats from the village again. I just took care of him. Nothing to worry about," then there were some raucous laughter from the blue-skinned man, "though you should see him, Boss, he looked just like a lost, timid little lamb. You would have loved to get your paws on him." Kakashi was tempted to either double back and punched him or just run.

The other unknown man sounded interested though. "Oh, do I?" He turned his head, his face now visible. Even from afar, Kakashi could clearly see him. Familiar eyes widened in surprise.

"…Kakashi?"

The Hatake startled, and tripped on a small stone. He found himself falling to his knees. His knees were scraped, his navy blue pants dirtied with earth. Kakashi was about to haul himself to his feet when a hand was held out to him. Tensing, he slowly slid his gaze from a pair of black, leather shoes, to a collared shirt, the bobbing Adam's apple on a long, corded pale neck before finally meeting two, red-tinted orbs.

"Kakashi Hatake, nice to finally meet you again." Obito Uchiha said, grinning.


	3. And the Curtains Unveiled

Chapter 3: And the Curtains Unveiled

"I am not a wolf in sheep's clothing. I'm a wolf in wolf's clothing." ~Ricky Gervais

=X=

To say Kakashi was shocked was truly the understatement of the year. He was petrified, he was stunned, he was paralysed, and he was sure that his jaw dropped so far that his mouth looked like an overgrown cavern. He was openly staring at his former best friend, he knew, all the while ignoring the offered hand, and when he saw the corner of Obito's twitched in amusement when his gaze lingered too long, the silver-haired student quickly tried to avert his eyes elsewhere; he immediately latched onto the huge, blue figure that was standing behind the raven-haired man. His shadow loomed over both of them, casting a malicious signal. "Do you know this little lamb, Boss?" The shark-like man asked, still grinning that horrible smile; one that was full of teeth. Kakashi wondered absent-mindedly in the back of mind if the weird man ever stops doing that.

Probably not.

The Uchiha did not heed the question. Obito coughed at the back of his throat, still not withdrawing his hand. His red-tinted irises, a pair that the Hatake had not laid his eyes upon for a very long time, glittered intimidatingly beneath the ray of sunlight. Behind the redness, there was also a hint of… horridness, perhaps? Before Kakashi could ponder about it any further, he was pulled to his feet by the young man himself, two hands gripping the side of his jacket so suddenly that the silver-haired man barely had time to utter a word or a gasp when he was lifted from his seated position on the ground. Kakashi could only look down to Obito in shock at the feat of strength. Obito only smirked in response, before placing him back down.

In order to avoid eye-contact with Obito, the young Hatake bent downwards to brush the smudge of earth from his pants. It was not that he was shy, but nervousness and anxiety seem to control him the very moment he saw his former best friend. He patted the fabric for a good while. The dirt was gone, though traces of it could clearly be seen, but he opted to keep his vision lingering on his shoelaces.

The following silence was uncomfortable.

He almost jumped when Obito laughed nervously, apparently rubbing the back of his head. The familiar gesture almost calmed his racing heart, and a small smile bloomed on his face, though unseen by the other. Kakashi decided to finally break the ice for he lifted his head to give the raven-haired man a full assessment, eyes half-lidded. For a full second, he took in the tall, broad shouldered adult, no longer was he a scrawny, little boy. He had cut his hair, the forehead bangs now shorter, but otherwise remain the same. His eyes no longer were wide and round, instead they had shaped into a narrower, almond mound. His jaw ended with a sharp, strong chin, and he was now wearing a full suit, which consist a crisp, white shirt, black trousers and a red tie, covered with a button-up shiny dark jacket. All in all, Obito looked every bit at home with his persona as one of the members of a prestigious clan that is feared all across the globe.

Kakashi almost looked away. A heavy feeling settled in his heart. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what it was. He was disappointed; Obito had changed, so had he. They could maybe learn to reconcile after this long, but there would a part where nothing would ever be the same again. And with Rin gone…

"Yes, we know each other, if that's what you're asking," Kakashi said to Kisame, who was silently watching alternatively between him and Obito, waiting for a reaction to occur. The blue-skinned man blinked when he received the answer to the question he thought had been ignored in the heat of the moment, tilting his head with wonder plastered to it. He looked at Obito, who graciously swept into the one-sided conversation.

"Right, we are childhood friends. Since we were about…six years old, I think?" The raven-haired man glanced at his friend for silent confirmation. The other man kept his silence. So, Obito still thought of him as his friend, or was it just sarcasm and politeness since his subordinate was standing right beside him? "We parted ways when we were twelve, and haven't seen each other since."

Kakashi spoke up, no longer being held by apprehension. He looked Obito in his eye. He watched as both of the Uchiha's eyebrows were raised when he noticed the different colouring of his left eye; how his eyes trailed down to observe the long, vertical scar resting over the left eyelid and cheek. Obito was intrigued, the silver-haired could tell, by the mark he left by his own hands. "I looked for you, you know," the Hatake began quietly, "after you...left, I tried to find you. I couldn't leave how things settled between us back then. I even joined ANBU." Kakashi lowered his gaze. "Where were you…Obito?"

The red-eyed man was startled. He let out a tiny squeak at the back of his throat, eyes wide. He paused for a moment, motioning for the blue-skinned man beside to leave them alone for a minute. With reluctance, as well as a bit of a grumbling, the man did so, taking several, long strides back to the house. He was met halfway by a man with long, tied blond hair and vibrant blue eyes. If it weren't for a deep voice letting out loud shouts and yells, Kakashi would have honestly thought the blond is a woman.

The silver-haired man blinked with surprise as a pair of large, calloused hands placed themselves on his shoulders. His eyes met with those of Obito's, their heads so near to one another that Kakashi could felt his best friend's hot breath hitting his face.

Obito was wearing a pacified look on his face –a frown pulling at his lips. "First of all, I want to say that I am sorry, Kakashi. For the…eye, as well as everything before that. I was…a rebellious teenager, and….huh, ya know, with…er, all that teenage hormones and all that stuff, so I…when I heard the thing about Rin, I snapped. I couldn't take it. You were the closest thing at the time…" He couldn't take it anyway and looked away, his cheeks burning with shame.

Everything was silent for a short while. Kakashi's face softened as he observed the turned face in front of him, the stretching muscles in a strong neck. The silver-haired man raised his arms softly, gently, before placing them on the wrists of his friend, gripping them with a soft amount of pressure. When he felt the touch, Obito turned to the Hatake in shock, crimson eyes widened.

The mismatch-eyed man had to look up slightly to look his friend in the eye. His face was determined, eyebrows lightly furrowed. No longer he could beat around the bush as such was not in his nature. The younger him, one from their childhood days, was a bold, cold-hearted, even arrogant brat, who disregard other people feelings as if they were mere nothing. Now, reaching the ripe age of twenty-two, his personality had drastically changed, albeit his iciness and sharp tongue cut deep into people sometimes. Yes, he had felt guilty, anger and self-pity when Rin had died, but he can't keep holding on to those negative feelings forever. He wanted to move on and he needed Obito's consent in order to do so. Their friendship had come to an abrupt stop a long time ago, but time cannot be count as a hindering factor to reconcile. They might not be on friendly terms after this, but that doesn't mean that they have to disregard the memories that they had. Rin shall be remembered for she was when she was alive, not when she had died.

That was enough to act upon, was it not?

Kakashi said, "I forgave you a long time ago, Obito. Granted, giving you my forgiveness will not give me back my lost eye, nor erase the scar on my face, but that is mere water under the bridge now. There was a reason why you acted back there, or maybe there was none at all, drove merely by devastating emotions and …err, teenage hormones. Even so, I will not ask. For that I had forsaken my promise, and I, in return, ask you for forgiveness, as I had broken my word to you. Even if there was nothing I could do to save Rin, a promise is a promise. And…" he smirked with humour, "apology doesn't suit you, Dope."

The look on Obito's face was priceless.

With his mouth wide open, he looked like a gaping fish, eyes wide in shock and surprise. Maybe he thought that Kakashi had changed otherwise in appearance, given his unusual show of shyness earlier. Although the Uchiha had a makeover in appearance, against all odds, he seemed to keep his uniquely-disfigured personality, which would have driven a younger Kakashi up a wall. But now, even as the silver—haired man let out a comment at him to close his mouth lest a fly flew in (which had happened once before), all the Hatake could feel was a sense a calm. He released his grip on the other's wrists gently, in which they fell limply at their owner's side.

Obito blinked a few times. He smoothed his face into a grimace, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous manner. He let out a few tiny chuckles, which died off quickly. "…Well, you're still a dickhead after all these years, Bakakashi. Do you even know how hard it is for me to even utter the word 'sorry'? Have some courtesy, will you?" He sent a mocking glare at Kakashi.

Dramatically, the Hatake rolled his eyes in return, silently enjoying this little banter. "You know as well as I do that courtesy is the last thing on my mind. Grow some balls, if you have not already." He paused, scowling. "…You're still taller than me, Obito. God damn, I thought all those bottles of milk that I had drunk in High School would at least do me some good."

The dark-haired man guffawed, amusement twinkling in his ruby-tinted eyes. He wiped some tears from the corner of his eye. "Y-you did what?! Damn, I thought you had gotten past that phase already! The last time you went into that shorty syndrome of yours, you spent at least 30 dollars on milk alone! You would have gotten more if the whole store hadn't run out!"

His face felt hot; he knew that he was blushing furiously from the memory alone. "S-shut up! Like you didn't do anything stupid when you were young! I distinctly remember that a certain someone tried to get back at me by drinking my cup of hot chocolate except that it was coffee that you drank and you got so caffeinated that you took off your clothes-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence-"

"-and attempted to seduce a plant…" Kakashi finished lamely, pretending to cough in a clenched fish to hide his chuckle.

Obito glared at him in a threatening way.

"In consolation though, that blueberry bush is a reallll beauty." The Hatake drawled out, trying to look as if he was also interested to proclaim his love to a bundle of leaves.

Obito poked Kakashi right on the bridge of his nose, making the other lightly scowled. "You talk too much now, Bakakashi. I don't suppose you would want to come in and filled that mouth of yours with something other than dry humor and sarcastic words would you?" The man gestured his right hand towards his old house in a silent beckon for the other to come inside.

At that the silver-haired man paused, his eyes watching his friend. He eyed the way his red eyes gleamed underneath the glimmer of sunlight; he observed the way the spiky ends of his friend's hair rustling gently amidst a soft breeze; his gaze trailed from the tan palm that was presented to him, along a cladded muscled arm that led him to focus on the softened look and the small smile.

A smile that reminded him of better days. A smile that presented hope and happiness. Against his better judgement in the presence of the man –no, friend, the silver-haired Hatake began to relax, his own expression taking that of a mild content expression. He could almost imagine that everything was alright, that the Uchiha was fine and so was he and the only person missing from this picture of bliss was Rin but Kakashi was sure that the girl would be watching over them from above, as she always did when she was alive.

Without putting much thought into it, he said, "Sure, why not?" And as he walked past the man, he missed the impetuous huge feral grin on the other's face.

=X=

Apart from the slight intrusive layer of dust on every available surface, as well as the questionable muskiness in the air from the lack of ventilation, the stampede of muddy footprints scattered all the marble floor of the living room area and the loud guffaws of one bluish shark humanoid echoing from somewhere deeper in the house –if the sounds disturbed him more than it should be then it's business but his own. Surely Obito would make fun of him over such trivial fears- the interior of the Uchiha Mansion remained pretty much the same if his memory serves right; the arrangement of the furniture unchanged down to the usual rich, extravagant colour of the wallpapers.

When he stood still in front of the entrance doors, taking in the familiar sight, Obito wrapped an arm around his shoulders, that usual lopsided grin plastered to his face, and ushered him to sit on one of the luxuriant deep sea green-coloured sofas, which was accompanied by a low mahogany coffee table, a single potted plant used as a decoration.

He was unprepared from the sudden slamming of a door, the piece of wood almost flying off its hinges. The walls reverberated with the force; Kakashi jumped slightly in his seat, while Obito rubbed his forehead in an almost tirade manner, eyebrows furrowed as a high-pitched screeching voice filled the air, accompanied by exasperated yelling of another one that Kakashi identified as the blond man-woman from before. There was an avalanche of loud footsteps, before the blond popped into the room, limbs tangling with that of an albino. The Hatake stared at the couple as another screaming match erupted.

"Hidan, you fucking piece of shit! Calm your tits down, you stupid airhead!" The blond-haired man yelled, teeth gritting with exasperation. His face was half covered by a long fridge of golden locks, but Kakashi could see the angry crystal blue of his right eye even as the man took a swing at the white-haired man's head. There was a loud, painful tump, but the albino just laughed crazily, pushing the blond's cheek with a palm.

"You're the one that's a fucking piece of pussy, Deidara!" Hidan screeched, grinning. He took long strides to where Obito and he were at, dragging the other man with him unwillingly. "I wanna see the next one! You even told me that this is the one that Boss was looking for! I wanna see the little shit for myself with my own two eyes!"

"I just told you what Kisame presumed! And don't go yelling shit like that in front of the next-"

"Hey, you're the new little fucker, right?" Freezing as Hidan's unique magenta swept over his form, glittering with some sort of crazed euphoria, Kakashi could only release an unintelligible hum at the back of his throat, puzzled at the conversation and its crude language. He scratched the nape of his neck, looking at Obito for enquiries, but the man crossed his arms and stood over his subordinates before he could say anything.

"Deidara, Hidan." Obito said coolly, radiating an air full of confidence and dominance, regarding the two men in front of him with two crimson orbs. The air began to thicken with tension and…fear? Were they afraid of little old friendly Uchiha Obito? Though his black-haired friend was exhibiting a different persona now…

The blonde one slammed his fist into the Hidan's temple again, while the latter screamed something about 'the great Lord Jashin', and Obito rubbed his eyes, exasperation shining through. He then muttered something, a finger pointing to the direction of the kitchen, and the blond looked almost scandalised, hitting the silver-haired man again when he released sharp barks of laughter. Deidara seemed to be protesting something, but quieted down when Obito gave him a commanded look, albeit giving an angry glare of his own. He dragged Hidan with him, muttering obscenities under his breath, his living luggage wheezing from the tight grip.

Five minutes later, Kakashi found himself awkwardly sipping hot tea, the liquid bland and tasteless, though he was more distracted by the scorching of his tongue to determine what kind of tea it's supposed to be. Obito sat across him, in an armchair of his own, a leg crossed over the other as he laced his fingers. He was watching Kakashi with unusual interest, the shade of his crimson retinas darkened even when the living room was well-lighted. For a split second, their eyes met, and Kakashi's guts twisted and his heart began heavy with stones. He quickly settled his gaze back to the rim of the teacup, lips pursing.

Obito gave a cough, seemingly to catch his attention. He settled the teacup back onto its platter, now empty but a few tiny drops.

"So, how's life?" Kakashi rolled his eyes; that was how Obito planned to start a conservation? And people labelled him anti-social.

The Hatake spoke of his administration into the famous ANBU University, a private institution that you can only get into if you either have extreme talents plus outstanding academic performances, or have applied and gotten the Hokage scholarship, which pretty much demanded you of the same requirements. The University provided the students with the latest and high-tech facilities, and have a wide range of subjects of which they can committed themselves into. The dormitories were okay, classy even but Kakashi was more focused on the club activities, particularly in Kendo and Art, so he was almost always absent from his room.

He excelled in the art of sword-swinging, one of the best thanks to his natural talents even though he was only a freshman. And it was during a sparring match that he met Tenzo, albeit the friendly introductions started after he smacked the brunette in the face. Afterwards, he found himself accompanied by the man after class hours, be it a walk around campus or studying in the resource centre together even though they majored in very different subjects; with him taking up sciences and the other more interested in agriculture and architecture.

(Tenzo was certainly a good friend, but Kakashi wasn't blind that the almond-eyed man held the desire of wanting Kakashi more than just a friend.

It was not like Kakashi hated Tenzo or anything, in fact, the mismatched-eyed man found himself at ease when in the other's man presence; the brunette knew when to keep his distance during one of his foul moods, bringing coffee and taiyaki every time in order to appease him. He was knowledgeable enough to hold intelligent conversations with the Hatake when he needed to be, and have the patience of a saint to be able to put up with Kakashi's tantrums when others would pull away. )

"As you would remembered, I moved away to the eastern regions to live with my old wrinkly grandfather, Uchiha Madara." Obito began to tell his side of the story, leaning into the comfortably soft cushion of his armchair. He had listened with rapt attention to Kakashi's, so the silver-haired man would honour the same. The Uchiha had bristled when Kakashi mentioned Tenzo, which made him puzzled, but he pushed it aside, contributing it to being just one of the man's enema.

The dark-haired man continued, "He was a bastard, that guy. A little crazy even. He took me in with a lot of grumbling, have all these weird rules that I have to follow to the letter, or else I would be send to bed without any dinner. Being the rebellious teenager that I was, I got sent to my room a lot. An old-fashioned guy, old man Madara was, and he was a loner and lived in a mansion even bigger than this one, the walls and the floorboards so old that it creaked very loudly even if you tiptoe. And the servants? Even weirder, and jackasses they were. They were ghostly pale and always asked me these stupidly humorous questions that make even you look like an extrovert. Don't look at me like that, Bakakashi.

But as fucked as Madara was, he was…brilliant. He was a genius, and when he saw my potential, he shared with me his views and thoughts. The old man trained me, pushed me through my limit, taught me, and paid for my tuition fees." Obito looked at him, a wide grin on his face. "I became even better, stronger, smarter and managed to look at the world at a different perspective. I aced my way to the top, no longer being held back by my own stupidity. I destroyed those who beneath me. Madara…he gave me a gift, he showed me the true way. He was proud of me, took me under his wing, and used my abilities instead of shunning me. He accepted me for who I am, shaped me to be who I am today. And when he passed away, I not only inherited his views, but also his company. The corporation that will lead the world to a better future, to a new era, to a new daybreak. Akatsuki…"

Absorbed in his own words, Obito slapped a palm over his face, attempting to cover the crazed expression on his face, to no avail. Alarmed, Kakashi jumped to feet, almost knocking over the tray of tea set. There was a rolling noise, before the Uchiha released a horrible yet erringly familiar sound reminiscence of a hyena's yelp. Kakashi's muscles locked up, his expression taken that of terror as it struck to him where he have heard the sound before.

Red hot pain seized him, flaring his nerves to the limit. His head pounded, particularly the area of his left eye, where it was penetrated by a glinting blade, its metallic surface covered by his blood and bits of flesh.

He clawed the floor in a fervent struggle. He screamed, but as loud as it was, it was nothing compared to the animalistic sounds coming from Obito as he pinned his thrashing limbs down. The Uchiha gave a maniacal smile, pushing the blade down even further. Blood continued to splatter.

"Ack!"

Gripped by the terror of the past, the silver-haired man didn't notice the fast movements of the current one until he got the wind knocked right out of him, as he flew right over the sofa and was slammed onto the marbled floor with such force that his vision swam. He went to rub the forming welt on his back of his scalp, but the movement was stopped by a shaking large hand restricting around his wrist, gripping tightly with power that Kakashi could not hide his pained whimper. But the sound constricted in his oesophagus when the Uchiha draped over his body with his own heavier one, pinning him effectively to the floor. Hot, staccato breaths hit his cheek as Obito knocked heads with him, that maddening red gaze bore into his grey ones, spiralling with untold insanity. But panic only truly consumed Kakashi after he caught sight of the object that was in Obito's free hand, held high above their prone forms.

"This world is cruel, Kakashi." Obito whispered with a soft tone, face devoid of any emotions, but his eyes could not fool the silver-haired man with its murky depths. His raised fingers moved, creating three clicks and a familiar blade casted a sinister glint, its surface clean and spotless but Kakashi knew that it was the same one that had taken his left eye away from him ten years ago.

"And I want you to suffer through it."


End file.
